Psychoanalytic therapy, also sometimes called insight-oriented therapy, centers around the manner in which unconscious processes are manifested within the individual's behavior. The overall goals of such therapy are to help the client become more self-aware and to understand the influence of past issues and attitudes upon their present behavior. This tends to allow the client to look inward in a more critical manner to look at unresolved issues and the symptoms those have (perhaps from past dysfunctional relationships, etc.) and how those tend to manifest in the present time with issues like substance abuse, abusive or negative behavior, or other ways that contribute to a repetitive negative pattern (Corey, 2009). Situational Overview

John is a 33-year-old male. John has an MBA and has been working for Loadstar Bank for 5 years, and has been frustrated because he has not advanced his career at the level he wished. We have been working with John to uncover certain self-sabotaging behaviors based on feedback received from his supervisors, colleagues and employment reviews. It appears that John is sullen and uncooperative when he works in teams, arrives late to interviews, stammers, and becomes defensive. In this session, we use psychodynamic theory to help John understand his behavior a bit better...

The following is an excerpt from a therapy session:
Therapist: John, you have mentioned that you are frustrated that your career path seems to be, in your words, "stalled." Why do you think this is happening?

John: I am not sure; I just cannot seem to get promoted, even though I am more qualified than many people who have advanced past me.

T: Let's talk a bit about your last interview for a job description. Tell me about it.

J: I went to the interview, there were three senior managers, and they asked questions that had very little to do with the job. I guess I got a bit frustrated and one manager asked why I seemed so defensive?

T: Were you defensive? Can you think of any reason they might have interpreted this?

J: Well, I was about 10 minutes late to the interview, but it was not my fault. Then I could not find a recent report I brought, and then they kept asking questions about working with teams, leadership theory, and stuff that had nothing to do with the job.

T: Is it possible, John, that being late told the committee you were not serious about the job? Or that they were asking general questions to get a feel for your managerial style?

J: Yes, but it had nothing to do with the job, and…